Running Ashtrays
by Arwendle
Summary: Jess is trying to skip town but something stops him. R/J (Written a long time ago)
1. Running

Running Ashtrays  
  
By Arwendle.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine don't sue.  
  
Pairing:R/J  
  
Summary: Jess is trying to run away but something stops him.  
  
An: I wrote this along time ago but never posted it here. I thought it was better off posted than sitting on my computer desktop.  
  
I have to get out of this place! Thought Jess as he stuffed the last of his essential belongings in his duffel bag. He checked his watch 7:30pm. The last bus out of Stars Hollow came at 8:15. Plenty of time. Jess opened the window of Lukes' room and dropped his duffel outside. He'd pick it up later. He glanced around the room one final time, grabbed his sweater and headed downstairs.  
  
Jess hoped that Luke wouldn't spot him as he walked through the diner but Luke was fully absorbed with Lorelai who was in possession of a bag that seemed to be bulging with every types of junk food imaginable. Rory! thought Jess. He wanted to see her one more time before he left. He didn't know why he wanted to see her…He just did. There was something about her that…he couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
Jess collected his bag from the place where it had fallen and walked towards the bus stop. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply hoping that the smoke would do it's worst possible damage before being released again out into the air. 7:43 he deposited his bag behind the bench of the bus stop. He cracked open his book but it was dark and he couldn't quite make out the words. He got up and walked over to the nearest street lamp and it was as he was opening his book again that he saw her through the windows of the video store. 7:45 he had plenty of time. He tossed his cigarette onto the ground and walked towards the store.  
  
The door jingled as he entered. He ducked into one of the aisles of video tapes. He looked around. If anyone had noticed they weren't acting like it. He played it cool. He walked down the row of tapes pretending to look at them. He picked up one or two and glanced at the covers. He wasn't interested in movies tonight. Rory was talking to that guy Kirk at the other end of the store. Jess positioned himself in the W section and picked up a movie and pretended to be looking at it.  
  
"Lord of the Rings was way better than Harry Potter." Rory said  
  
"That's it out of the store!" said Kirk  
  
"um…Kirk I haven't got my movie yet…"  
  
"you have 30 seconds!"  
  
"What!" cried Rory and ran frantically for the W section. "Where is it?" she said searching the rack.  
  
"20 seconds" yelled Kirk. "18, 17,16…  
  
Jess who had been standing there the entire time, movie still casually grasped in his hand, watched as Rory got down on her knees and scanned the rack.  
  
"Where is it?" she asked again.  
  
"is this what are you looking for?" he asked. Rory turned to glance up at him. It was like time had stopped. They looked at one another each holding their breath.  
  
" 10 seconds" Rory came back down to earth.  
  
"What is it? Wizard of Oz? Yes that's the one." Rory said as she grabbed the video from Jess. She ran to the counter and plunked the money down and before Kirk had time to protest was out on the street with her prize. A stunned Kirk stared at the money as Jess ran out the door after her.  
  
"Quite a disappearing act you pulled there." He puffed as he caught up to her.  
  
" Well tonight is movie night. I couldn't leave without a movie." Rory replied.  
  
"Speaking of movies did you happen to notice that I was holding the movie you grabbed? Maybe I was planning to watch…" Jess glanced at the video in her hand "The Wizard of Oz."  
  
"Sure you were."  
  
" I think I was! I think therefore I am."  
  
"Voltaire" Rory mumbled  
  
" I believe I'm going to have to confiscate that tape for my own personal viewing or be compensated." He mock puckered his lips.  
  
Rory glanced at him, at his lips, at the movie in her hand. She made her decision.  
  
" I'll be back in one second. Wait right here." She instructed and ran into Luke's.  
  
Jess glanced at his watch 8:05 she had better be quick. 5 minutes passed by. Jess pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He had better be getting to the bus stop. He walked to the bus stop and picked his bag up from behind the bench. 8:12 he checked his watch again. He couldn't wait to get out of here.  
  
"There you are!" the cry came from across the street. Rory ran across the street and grabbed his arm. She let go when her heart fluttered from the contact. Remember Dean she told herself. " You want to see the Wizard of Oz? Well come to our movie night. But you had better hurry up my mother gets cranky when she has to wait for the munchkins."  
  
Maybe he could wait a little longer.  
  
"What's with all the stuff?" Lorelai asked as Jess dumped his duffel in the front hall.  
  
" I thought we were having a slumber party" he said sarcastically  
  
"ohhhhh What a great idea" Lorelai squealed "I have the perfect thing!" she began to rummage through closets.  
  
"um mom? Aren't we going to watch the movie?" asked Rory. Lorelai stopped her rummaging and they all settled down in front of the couch.  
  
"Did you know that if you play Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album it is synchronised with the Wizard of Oz?" asked Jess  
  
"no way!" cried Rory.  
  
"try it"  
  
Lorelai went and found her Pink Floyd CD. And put it into the CD player.  
  
After a few minutes of gaping Rory said "that is sooo cool."  
  
They watched the rest of the Wizard of Oz making ohhh and awww sounds whenever it was synchronised with the CD.  
  
The night passed very fast. Jess couldn't believe he was actually having fun in this little hell town.  
  
At around midnight Jess slipped out onto the porch. He needed some fresh air. The night was cool and crisp and the stars were brilliant overhead. Normally it was nights like this when his mind went wild and all his stories came to him. Tonight no stories came. All he could think about was Rory. Why was this happening? He kicked a pine cone off the porch in frustration. He had been as good as gone from Stars Hollow. And then tonight had happened. What exactly had happened? He asked himself over and over again. Why did he all of a sudden not want to leave so much anymore? Rory stepped out on to the porch.  
  
"What's the matter" she asked "Is everything ok?"  
  
"Yeah everything is fine." There was an awkward silence.  
  
"You were running away tonight weren't you?" He nodded. "Why did you stay?"  
  
He didn't answer he just looked at her and shrugged.  
  
"I haven't decided to stay yet. I just delayed my departure." Rory looked into his eyes and quickly glanced down at her shoes. For some reason the idea of Jess leaving distressed her.  
  
"Don't leave Jess" she whispered. The moon beams cascaded all around them. Jess leaned forward to make a witty reply and found that he was kissing her lightly, unexpectedly. A static shock zapped their lips making his heart pound. He deepened the kiss and for a few seconds she did as well. Then the moon went behind a cloud and the moment was broken. Reluctantly he pulled away. He could see confusion in her eyes but she gave him a small uncertain smile. Then she shook her head and brought her fingers to her lips. "You taste like an ashtray" she said and ran into the house. 


	2. Library

"This is a total crock!" thought Jess as he walked through the aisles of Stars Hollow Library with a shelving cart. Who came up with the brilliant idea that you needed 35 hours of volunteer work to graduate anyways? At least his placement was in the library and not one of the porcelain unicorn shops. He shuddered at the thought and shoved another book onto the shelf.  
  
Near the end of his shift Jess decided that since he was a volunteer he had time to take a little break. He sat down in one of the library chairs pulled and pulled out his pencil and notebook. He did not notice Rory until she spoke to him.  
  
"What are you doing?" She asked. It had been two weeks and they had so far avoided talking about the kiss.  
  
"Writing" replied Jess noncommittally.  
  
"Cool! I didn't know you wrote."  
  
"I didn't tell you"  
  
"Well obviously but… What are you writing about?" asked Rory apparently undeterred by the fact that Jess didn't seem interested in talking to her.  
  
"Nothing much, because I'm really having difficulty getting rid of one of the characters."  
  
"Hmm maybe I can help. What's the problem?  
  
"Well I need to get rid of the girl's boyfriend so she can hook up with another guy."  
  
"You could always kill him off."  
  
"Don't you think that's a bit harsh? Plus I'd have to do the whole funeral and the girl would be all mopey for a while."  
  
"Good point. What if the boyfriend moved?" offered Rory.  
  
"Na, that's an easy out. It's almost as bad as shipping him off to boot camp."  
  
"How about making the guy a real jerk?"  
  
"Breaks character. The guy is too boring to be a jerk."  
  
"Goes insane?"  
  
"Do I really have to answer that one?" Jess said in mock severity.  
  
"I see your problem." Laughed Rory.  
  
"I mean I could always do the 'they began to drift apart thing' but seriously isn't that a bit over done?"  
  
"Just a little." Rory agreed.  
  
"How am I supposed to write the next great American novel if I use an overdone idea?" Jess exclaimed rather loudly.  
  
" Ok. I think this is getting a little loud for the library."  
  
"Point taken. How about we go get something at Luke's?" Jess offered glancing at his watch. His shift had ended 15 minutes ago anyways.  
  
" Did you say coffee? I'm there!" Rory yelled.  
  
"Who's too loud for the library now?" Jess joked.  
  
Jess and Rory sat down at a table and waited for Luke to serve them.  
  
"Jess what exactly do you think your doing?" Luke asked suspiciously.  
  
"Um let me think…maybe I'm waiting for you to take my order?"  
  
" You don't order here, you work here."  
  
"I'm on break!"  
  
"Um Luke?" Rory said. Luke turned to glare at Rory "Coffee please." She smiled. Luke grunted and headed off to get her order.  
  
"Hey Luke…" Jess called.  
  
"I'm not serving you!" Grumped Luke. Jess got up and got himself a hot chocolate.  
  
"Hot chocolate?" Rory asked  
  
"Yeah I don't drink coffee it's bad for you. I hear it stunts your growth." Jess replied.  
  
"You smoke and you think coffee is bad for you? You don't see surgeon general warnings on the sides of coffee bags do you?"  
  
"No. But I don't smoke anymore either. I quit. Apparently it made me taste bad." He said glancing at her. Rory knew what he meant and studied the steam rising from her coffee so she could avoid his eyes.  
  
"What if the boyfriend goes missing?" Rory blurted out. Jess laughed and shook his head.  
  
Luke looked on in total confusion as Jess and Rory debated how they were going to rid Jess's story of a stubborn boyfriend. 


	3. Snow

"Amnesia?" Rory said incredulously as she walked beside Jess through the snowy streets of Stars Hollow. "After 2 days of brainstorming that's the best you can come up with?"  
  
" Amnesia's a great idea!" Defended Jess "besides it's better than having him run away with the circus! Now who's great idea was that?  
  
" Ok I admit…but I mean amnesia?"  
  
"I've even thought of how he gets it!" Jess said ignoring Rory's rejection of the idea.  
  
"Do I really want to hear this?"  
  
"It's going to be from a blow given to him during a fight to the death. What do you think?"  
  
"I think I'm going to ignore you now." Rory said as she sat down on a bench and pulled out her book. Jess sat down on the other side and pulled out his notebook. Sitting back to back they became completely oblivious to each other and the world around them.  
  
"I don't like it!" fussed Luke as he spied at Rory and Jess through the window of his diner. "It's getting a bit too touchy feely."  
  
"Um…Luke I don't want to know what constitutes touchy feely for you but that is not touchy feely." Replied Lorelai who was sitting at the table by the window.  
  
" I know what I'm seeing. They are touching!"  
  
"I think Rory has touched a person before. I don't see you running out there when she sits like that with Lane."  
  
"Maybe I should! That's it! I'm going out there to get him right now!" Luke rushed towards the door.  
  
"Cool it Luke. They are only leaning against each other. They aren't even talking."  
  
"but…"  
  
"Rory is Jess's only friend in this entire town. Give him a chance to put some roots down or he'll just keep running away again."  
  
"again?"  
  
"Oh c'mon Luke he's tried to run at least 5 times!"  
  
"actually it's 6. At least that I've counted." Said Kirk from across the room. Luke turned and glared at him.  
  
"Fine! Said Luke throwing his dishtowel down on the table. "I won't do anything but if Rory gets hurt…"  
  
"She won't. Now this…" Said Lorelai " is a blasphemy. An empty coffee cup. Coffee cups are made to be full of sweet life giving coffee…"  
  
  
  
" What's another word for boring?" Jess asked his pen halting momentarily.  
  
"Mundane" Rory answered mid-page turn. Jess's pen returned to the page and Rory went back to her book. A minute later Jess sighed.  
  
"I told you not to use amnesia" Rory said knowingly.  
  
"It's not the amnesia. I haven't even got there yet. I'm trying to figure out the fight to the death." Jess said frustrated  
  
"You were actually serious about that? If you are going to give him amnesia at least have him hit by a car or something!"  
  
"That's it! He doesn't have amnesia anymore."  
  
"What does he have? Psychopathic tendencies?"  
  
" No. He is going to get kidnapped."  
  
"Are you trying to make this a bad story?"  
  
Neither of them noticed Dean walk up.  
  
"Hey Rory, What are you doing?" Dean asked.  
  
" Nothing much. Jess and I were just figuring out how to get rid of a boyfriend who just won't go away."  
  
"Really?" said Dean looking rather hurt. Rory didn't catch the look. " And how exactly were you planning to do this?  
  
"Well Jess thinking of kidnapping him…"  
  
"With booby traps like giant fly swatters" Said Jess finishing her sentence. Rory turned and glared at him.  
  
" You're not much of a criminal mastermind are you?"  
  
"Well that's not what my police records say…" Jess left it hanging. Dean stood dumbfounded as this exchange took place before him.  
  
"What I was thinking" said Rory turning back to Dean." was that the boyfriend walks in on his girlfriend kissing the new guy. It doesn't really matter how, we just need to get rid of him"  
  
"I think I get what you are getting at." Said Dean " Why don't you just break up with me?"  
  
"Excuse me?!" Said Rory totally confused.  
  
" Are you scared to break up with me face to face? I would never have thought this of you!" shouted Dean. " You want to play silly mind games that's fine! But do it with someone else!"  
  
"I don't understand." Said Rory too shocked for tears.  
  
"Here. I'll make it really simple for you. It's over Rory!" Dean walked away swiftly. His shoes making crunching sounds against the snow. Rory didn't try and run after him. She sat against Jess unmoving. All she could hear was the scratch of his pen against the paper. It began to snow. They did not move or even look up. Tears welled up in her eyes as she studied the snowflakes spiralling to the ground. The street lamps began to turn on. Luke watched them anxiously from the diner window but they didn't stir. When it was too dark to see, Jess closed his notebook and turned to Rory. Jess studied Rory for a moment then cupped his hands over her cheeks which were covered in frozen tears. He wiped away the fresh ones brewing in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him seeking comfort and warmth. Time seemed to warp as the snow fell like goose feathers all around them. An immeasurable amount of time passed during which no words were spoken. Then the door of the diner opened and Luke emerged carrying two steaming coffees. Rory disentwined herself from Jess and took the coffee.  
  
"Let's get you warmed up." Jess said softly. As he led her inside. 


End file.
